1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for eliminating mosquitos by attracting them to lay their eggs within the device in trays of water that are provided for this purpose. Periodically, the trays are dumped of their contents, and the content is filtered to remove the eggs from the water. The eggs are then crushed and disposed of, with the filtered water being recycled for reuse in the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mosquitos cause more human suffering than any other organism with over one million people dying each year from mosquito-borne diseases. According to the World Health Organization, malaria alone affects 400 million people each year. About 1,200 Americans are infected with malaria each year, most while traveling abroad. Malaria is a tropical disease and is most severe in Africa where it kills two million people each year either directly or in combination with acute respiratory infections. In approximately the past decade, dengue hemorrhagic fever emerged in Latin America and has reached as far north as the Texas border. Mosquitos have contributed to the spread of West Nile disease over the United States in just three years.
Various methods and devices have been proposed for killing or reducing the population of mosquitos or at least to prevent them from bothering the human population with their presence. Each of these methods and devices has its own unique set of problems or limitations.
One such method is to trap the mosquitos or mosquito larvae in a device that does not permit the mosquitos from exiting the device, thereby causing the mosquitos to die within the device. One obvious limitation with this method is that not all of the mosquitos will be trapped, and those that are not trapped will continue to breed and replenish the mosquito population that is available to bite humans.
Another method is to add some type of organic chemical, such as for example alcohol or oil, to bodies of water in which the mosquitos breed to kill the larvae. The organic chemical floats on the top of the water and prevents the larvae from reaching the air, thereby causing the larvae to suffocate. This method is limited in use because it is only effective for use in still bodies of water, not flowing water which disrupts the oil layer so that mosquito larvae do not suffocate. Also, the addition of alcohol or oil to a body of water fouls the water and pollutes it.
Still other methods involve introducing a chemical scent that either repels the mosquitos away from the area where the humans are to be, or alternately, masks the scent of the human to the mosquitos so that they can not locate the humans to bite them. These methods do nothing to reduce the mosquito population and have limited effective range. If a human ventures beyond the limited range of the chemical scent, the mosquitos will be able to locate the human and bite him. This is the same principal used by citronella candles as well as products that are sprayed on the human's body. These sprays that are used on a human's body are known carcinogens and can present a particularly acute health hazard for young children.
Further methods include attracting and then electrocuting the adult mosquitos or alternately using an insecticide to kill them. Electrocution of mosquitos is noisy, and does not kill a significant percentage of the mosquito population, and those mosquitos that are not killed will continue to breed and replenish the mosquito population available to bite humans.
Still a further method is to employ spray insecticides. However, these insecticides can be harmful to humans, animals and the environment, and recently have been found to be ineffective in killing mosquitos because the concentrations allowed for use by the government for human health reasons has allowed the mosquito population to build a resistance to the insecticides. Also, insecticides are not selective and can kill beneficial insects that help in pollination of crops. Finally, insecticides can reach water supplies and contaminate our drinking water.
The present invention is designed to reduce the mosquito population by providing an attractive device into which the mosquitos will be attracted by use of a combination of heat, light and chemical attractants. Once inside, the mosquitos will lay their eggs in trays of water provided for this purpose. The trays will automatically dump periodically and the eggs will be filtered out of the water. The eggs will then be mechanically destroyed and disposed of, and the filtered water will be recycled for reuse in the device. The device is self contained, and is battery powered with optional solar recharging. Thus, the device can be located in remote locations where power and water sources are not readily available. Also, because of the low power usage and reuse of water, the device can operate for extended periods of time without need of servicing. Use of the device allows the reduction and management of the mosquito population below the threshold that would cause disease.